MBSS Site Summary for: GILB-308-R-2009

Site Photos

Field photo showing stream conditions at site GILB-308-R-2009-1 (Opens in a new window) Field photo showing stream conditions at site GILB-308-R-2009-2 (Opens in a new window)

Located on Gilbert Swamp Run in the Gilbert Swamp watershed, 8-digit code: 02140107.
This stream was visited in the spring on 3/12/2009 and again in the summer on 8/14/2009.

Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) Results:

An Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) is a scientific tool used to identify and classify stream health. An IBI associates anthropogenic influences on a stream or with biological condition in the stream, and is formulated using data developed from biosurveys.
Details on the development and application of MBSS IBIs are in this document.
Fish IBI Fair - 3.0 / 5.0
Benthic IBI Good - 4.7 / 5.0

Land Use

Land use can provide important information for determining stream health.
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Catchment area 25,676 acres A stream flowing through a densely forested area. An example of a forested stream.
Urban Land Use 4.8 %
Agricultural Land Use 38.3 %
Forested Land Use 55.2 %


Stream showing woody debris, logs, and rocky substrate.
An example of woody debris in a stream.

Physical Stream Habitat
Instream Habitat 7/20 (Marginal)
Epifaunal Substrate 5/20 (Poor)
Velocity/Depth Diversity 10/20 (Marginal)
Pool Quality
Pool Extent = 75 meters 		6/20 (Marginal)
Riffle Quality
Riffle Extent = 31 meters 		9/20 (Marginal)
Shading 70 %
Embeddedness 60 %
The embeddedness, a measure of silt on the stream bottom, was 60%. This is relatively high, and may exclude some biota.


Stream Water Quality:
Water temperature 25.8 ° C
Dissolved oxygen (DO) 7.2 mg/L
pH (lab) 6.98
Conductivity 96 µmho/cm
Alkalinity
(acid neutralizing capacity) 		251 µeq/L
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) 4.0273 mg/L

Biological Stream Condition:

Surveys of the organisms living within a stream can give indications of stream health. Species richness, or the number of different species present, as well as indicator species (species whose presence, absence or abundance can serve as a measure of environmental conditions) are informative for stream health. 		Close-up of a mayfly indicator species.

Fish Survey Results:
The following 10 fish species were collected.
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Common name Count
American Eel 62
Tessellated Darter 21
Swallowtail Shiner 12
Pumpkinseed 5
Banded Killifish 3
Blacknose Dace 3
Bluegill 2
Largemouth Bass 2
Margined Madtom 2
Yellow Bullhead 1
Biologists sampling fish communities.
Electrofishing to sample fish communities.

Amphibians and Reptiles:
American Bullfrog
Southern Leopard Frog

Crayfish:
Orconectes limosus

Exotic Plants:
Japanese Honeysuckle
Japanese Stiltgrass
Multiflora Rose
 

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:
Sensitive taxa: Green, Tolerant: Red, Intermediate: Gold.
Genus/Family Common Name Count
Gammarus Amphipod 22
Psephenus Water Penny 13
Ephemerella Sulphur Mayfly 8
Strophopteryx Early Brown Stonefly 8
Maccaffertium March Brown And Cahill Mayfly 8
Stenelmis Beetle 7
Isoperla Stripetail Stonefly 7
Prostoia Spring Stonefly 5
Cheumatopsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 5
Orthocladius Non-Biting Midges 4
Oulimnius Riffle Beetle 3
Hydropsyche Net-Spinning Caddisfly 3
Hydrobaenus Midge 3
Haploperla Green Stonefly 3
Prosimulium Black Fly 3
Bezzia Biting Midge 2
Cricotopus Non-Biting Midges 2
Amphinemura Spring Stonefly 2
Optioservus Riffle Beetle 2
Stempellinella Non-Biting Midges 2
Tanytarsus Non-Biting Midges 2
Thienemannimyia Group Non-Biting Midges 1
Dubiraphia Riffle Beetle 1
Acerpenna Tiny Blue-Winged Olive Mayflies 1
Dicrotendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Microtendipes Non-Biting Midges 1
Dicranota Hairy-Eyed Cranefly 1
Orthocladiinae Midge 1
Lopescladius 1
Physa Air-Breathing Freshwater Snail 1
Stegopterna Black Fly 1
Chrysops Deerfly 1
Prostoma Freshwater Nemertean (Ribbon Worm) 1
Kick net sampling for macroinvertebrates.
Sampling with a kick net.

Information disclaimer: The information and data on this page is for guidance and general planning purposes only. It should not be used to make decisions on specific matters.